Scenes with Bacchus, muses and Apollo

Unknown (Byzantine)

Item type:

miniature

Date of creation:

6th century

Technique / Medium:

ivory

Place of creation:

Egypt (former nation/state/empire)

Additional titles

Description

The three horizontal plaques possibly form one object, perhaps a casket. The upper plaque depicts Erato playing a kithara with a plectrum. Apollo's figure is shared between the first and the second half, showing him holding a kithara. The subject of the bottom strip is a Dionysiac ritual. On that part a man figure can be seen, possibly a satyr, playing a double aulos.

Iconclass

92D426
Erato (one of the Muses); 'Erato' (Ripa)
92B3731
Apollo and the Muses, Apollo Musagetes
92L415
non-aggressive, friendly or neutral activities and relationships of satyr(s)

Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)

Kithara [4940]
Double aulos

Image URLs

image link 1
image link 2

RIdIM record id

7127

Data provider

Koç University – Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for Late Antique and Byzantine Studies (GABAM) and The Friends of Music Society in Athens launched the Byzantine Musical Instruments Project in 2018 with Dr. Antonios Botonakis, under the scientific supervision of Prof. Nikos Maliaras. In 2020, the results of the research were integrated with Koç University Suna Kıraç Library’s website to present an online database with various filters to help researchers make in-depth research.
The main objective of the project was to thoroughly document the depictions of Byzantine musical instruments. During the research, a great number of visual representations on artefacts from the wider geographic area of the Byzantine Empire were studied. In the database more than 400 visual representations of musical instruments spread across 136 different cultural institutions in 27 countries around the world are presented to researchers.
In order to encompass the rich variety of the instruments used in the Byzantine times, some recurring visuals have been eliminated from the database to make room for unique visuals. Since the research was conducted by a Post-Doctorate researcher who is a musicologist, the database demonstrating the iconography also provides a unique classification of instruments. This project is a natural partner for the RIdIM database of performing arts images from all cultures and eras.
Project Direction- Engin Akyürek | Scientific Supervision- Nikos Maliaras | Scientific Research- Antonios K. Botonakis | Content Editor & Turkish Translation- Merve Özkılıç | Project Coordination- Barış Altan, Alexandros Charkiolakis | Digital Collection Technical Support- Senem Acar (Digital collection archivist), George Boumpous, Vera Kriezi, Sina Mater (Web design) | Funded by: Koç University – Stavros Niarchos Foundation Center for Late Antique and Byzantine Studies (GABAM)